Afghan CDMA operator Wasel Telecom has partnered with SpeedCast International to connect residents in remote villages in Afghanistan.
Connectivity is provided through a fully managed, off-grid small cell end-to-end solution that includes satellite communications, solar panels, base transceiver stations (BTS) and accompanying towers.
The solutions function as radio access networks that include outdoor small cells (low-powered radio access nodes that operate in licensed and unlicensed spectrum supporting 2G, 3G and 4G LTE) and a base station controller. Satellite backhaul completes the solution. The network is enabled by a solar power system and battery bank with a self-supporting tower and has a range of up to 5km.
PJ Beylier, CEO, SpeedCast, said: “We are enabling the rural population in Afghanistan to gain access to modern communications infrastructure so they can see the world with a new perspective. The arrangement has the potential to bring broadband, cellular services, e-health services, e-learning and telemedicine to the most remote areas of the globe.”
After completing a successful proof of concept with Wasel Telecom to connect three rural villages, SpeedCast and Wasel Telecom agreed to collaborate on a bid for an upcoming project for the Afghan government. The work would extend the solution to more than 200 villages in the hardest-to-reach areas of the country.
Hatem Al Sibai, CEO, Wasel Telecom, said: “I’m extremely confident that our combined expertise will enable a solution that will change the lives of the Afghan people.”
